The present invention relates to utilization of a centrifugal valve in conjunction with processing liquids-containing materials such as concentrating same in a vacuum chamber, as well as in other procedures wherein control of flow inlet to/outlet from a container such as a vial holding the materials is required or desired. Representative of such is deprotection of a synthetic oligonucleotide.
There are different procedures to which materials such as biological specimens can be subjected. For example, a biological material or specimen may be contained in an organic liquid. To recover the specimen, it and the liquid containing same already present in a container such as a vial can be subjected to a centrifugal vacuum concentration in a vacuum chamber, the vial being held on a rotor which is rotated during the concentration. When concentration is completed, rotation is stopped and the vacuum chamber vented. In some instances, an inert gas can be admitted to the chamber prior to venting to provide a protective blanket of, e.g., nitrogen over the dried specimen. The vial then can be capped to protect the vial contents until further specimen use time. The handling of the vial for capping allows possibility that contamination of the contents can take place.
Another handling of a specimen can be a hydrolysis operation. As a preliminary to heating the specimen in a sealed container, it is required that any air environment in the container be withdrawn and replaced with an inert gas blanket. To do this can involve using special equipment for evacuating the container.
Other protocols relating to biological material and the handling of same can present possibility of contamination or specimen material loss through spillage or other human error.
It is desirable then that means and method be provided to allow packaging or containment of materials in containers which permit many commonly used procedures be practiced, such as centrifugal vacuum concentration, during which flow access to and from the container is possible to introduce or remove particular gas/vapor media and at the end of the procedure the container be gas-tight sealed and thereafter handled in ordinary manner without hazard of contaminating or losing the contents.